June 23, 2025 to July 7, 2025
in the interim
Before going forward, I thought I'd take a look back and offer a few thoughts about the GAP/C&O:
1. For years, I've wondered why they don't just combine them into one route. They connect with other, and are basically one trail, so it seemed odd. Now I know. As you can tell from my journal, they're two very distinctive rides, maintained by two different entities. The C&O is maintained by the National Park Service and the GAP is maintained (excellently and miraculously) by volunteers. One is "less developed" (as Heather put it) and the pass-through towns are incidental, while the other has crushed limestone with towns that are geared toward the cycling community. They really are two completely separate trails that just happen to be connected to each other. I enjoyed both, in spite of the very different quotient of people to mosquitoes between the two.
2. When I was a little boy, I mentioned to my dad that I might want to be a truck driver when I grow up.
"Truck drivers have to have low IQs," was his response. "That's how they stay awake - they don't get bored."
I don't get bored, and I have an IQ somewhere between Gilligan and glue, so for years I thought I had missed my vocational calling. I would've done well as a truck driver. Of course, I now realize that, having met a number of truck drivers, it's just not an accurate statement. I even met a trucker on one of my trips.
I bring that up because the C&O/GAP might be boring to some people. It's a lot of The Same, but to me if The Same is as beautiful as this, then I'm okay with it. Plus, the people I know who don't like "samey" are typically the ones who can complete the entire ride (334.5 miles/538.3 kilometers) in three or four days, so it wouldn't be much of the same for very long.
3. When I was planning this trip, I noticed that there are towns scattered at frequent intervals all along the route. What I didn't realize, and hope to alert others to, is that, yes, there are plenty of towns....BUT THEY'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER WITH NO ACCESS. For example, when I was at Lockhouse 25, Leesburg was only 4 miles away as the crow flies, just across the river. However, according to google maps it's a 34-mile ride, and RideWithGPS clocked it as 64 miles. Be aware of that if you're planning to ride here.
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In the interim:
1. My shoulder pain continues to improve.
2. My elbow pain, from the crash, is almost completely gone as well.
3. I bought a new helmet, the third one for this trip. Considering Klaus' quote, let's see how long I can make this one last. (The quote: "I don't even know why I wear a helmet. It's only saved my life once.")
4. Each morning, as I loaded the panniers onto my bike, I would notice that one of the spacers had moved out of place. There's a notch which is supposed to hold them in place but it hasn't been working, and as a result I lost one of them.
After Heather and I finished our ride, we stayed with Cherpumple Mike and BlogMother Jen while we were in Pittsburgh. You met Cherpumple Mike when he rode with me on the Empire State Trail. BlogMother Jen, his wife, is one of Heather's co-residents, one of the people we see every year at the reunion, and the only person I absolutely insist has to read every one of my blogs. I don't even hoist them upon Heather.
Why? Because she's the reason I started blogging. After a casual "You should blog your trips!" followed by a "Uhhh.... Okay," I began putting journal to blogosphere. So, now you know who to blame.
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